Ships Log: Fat Aircraft carrier war games
- Thread starter UtahJoe
- Start date
Here's some raw meat for the sharks 
Oh I just so happened to look up some SSAP data because I love that shit...
Minutes back from the winner by year
2009: 44 min (cat 2)
2010: cant find results (cat 1), but i was pretty far back ~30th iirc
2011: 26min 23rd place (cat 1)
2012: 6:44 4th place cat 1
2013: 4:25 6th place cat 1
2014: 3:09 5th place cat 1
Chipping away...at this rate I should win this race around the year 2024. Funny how much easier it is to chop off the first 35-40min than it is to make up that last 3 min
Oh I just so happened to look up some SSAP data because I love that shit...
Minutes back from the winner by year
2009: 44 min (cat 2)
2010: cant find results (cat 1), but i was pretty far back ~30th iirc
2011: 26min 23rd place (cat 1)
2012: 6:44 4th place cat 1
2013: 4:25 6th place cat 1
2014: 3:09 5th place cat 1
Chipping away...at this rate I should win this race around the year 2024. Funny how much easier it is to chop off the first 35-40min than it is to make up that last 3 min
Moving on...
My son is now 5 weeks old. Things are going well. As having a child goes, I feel like I had it unbelievably easy with regards to additional stress being put upon me. Like too easy....there has to be a giant land mine coming up thats going to blow off one of my legs I feel. Anyway, so I have been getting my ride time in, although the past two week have been essentially nothing. One rest week, then when i should have been training this past week, I was sick with some stomach alien. I actually slept from 5:30pm wed, until 730 am thursday, which might be a personal record for me.
So Iron Hill...
Of course usually I would be jumping up and down about doing waywayanda, it my second most favorite park to race out next to jungle and I have done every race there since 2008. Bill and I rode up on Wednesday and did a loop of the course..I really hate being critical of a promoter bc I am heavily involved with the layout of the SSSP course and while it might seem easy to make an xc race course that works for everyone, its not. Theres alot that goes into it. That said, I was really disappointed in this years course. Way too much fire road for me for a waywayand course. So after my pre ride, I changed my mind and decided to join norm and the gang at Iron Hill.
Up at 4, get to kirts at 530 then Me, Norm, D and Kirt hit the road. I proceed to talk their ears off for the next two hours. Fun for me anyway
So the race and stuff. I signed up for pro...I knew this would be a bad idea since in the mass series, this class is a death squad. But whatever, at the end of the day, beating a pro or two that I have no business beating feels better to me than getting a medal...and sometimes the sun shines on a dogs butt and all that stuff. I like it this way...somedays it goes awesome and you walk away feeling like a hero, other days you are slightly off and you get absolutely slaughtered, but you can say that you fought against the best guys.
As im getting my number I ask a guy next to me what the course is like as I have never been to iron hill. He tells me its pretty rocky. I then tell him him that im from north jersey and he quickly revises his statement. Something like...oh oh..not like THAT rocky So with that, me kirt and norm head out for a little pre ride. Its muddy, like i could have finally taken those beaver tires I bought two years ago out of the box muddy. Mud aside, I would describe the course as similar to stewart, but with hills. Some really fun, fast single track, other than the mud, nothing technical of note.
Line up on the front row with Monte, Ron Harding, Cole oberman, and a few other noted big dogs. About 35 guys in this group, which as pro classes that i have done, is huge. The starter asks us by show of hands if we want to do 3 laps or four due to the conditions....I jump up and down for three!!! At this pace, which for me is a cross race that lasts for twice as long...shorter the better So off we go. In short order im riding on the edge of crashing given the mud. This is not unexpected. Big group, we are all inches apart and nobody makes any mistakes...this is also not unexpected. As I have said many times, as good as my mountain bike skills might get, everyone in this class is a baller when it comes to bike handling. We break out onto the first open climb and I try to sprint to keep pace, but I just dont have the snap today. I dont know the course and its slick, so im being slightly conservative and its costing me. After 15 minutes of trying to force my legs to run on all 8 cylinders, I try to settle into some kind of a pace. Another 10 minutes and I can tell that this is going to be one of those days...just feel like a slug and cant power the climbs in a big gear. I think i was better than mid pack for a good part of the first lap, but then came the bleeding. On one of the harder climbs I get light headed and im forced to go from power to spin. Its like in kill bill when someone gets swiped with a sword and 100 gallons of blood some spilling out. Near the end of the lap is the Mega dip, which is a gravity cavity that drops maybe 50' down than back up. Spectators everywhere so I make sure not to fuck it up. I get to the top and go the wrong way as i didnt see the arrow. Not a big deal but it like monte sneak by me....Which gave me a shot in the arm. I thought, oh shit, I was ahead of Mike? ok, things cant be that bad. I try to stay with him and do for a short while...Until the next big climbs when he spints up it and dont
Lap 2 the mud is worse, im not making any mistakes but im still bleeding spots on the climbs, im now tired getting dizzy spells. nothing much of note, i pass back and forth with one of the guys in my group but we are both pretty cooked so there is no fight involved. Finish the lap and Mandi is there with my bottle thankfully. I know the thrid lap is going to be more suck, so i just try to enjoy the downhills and twisty bits and think happy thoughts on the climbs. Things like taking a sledgehammer to to my wife's greatful dead collection. Oh ya, that feels good...shift up a gear!
Finish up, find monte and mandi and spin out for a while chatting with mike about the race. Went as expected I guess...not well, but I need every little advantage i can get just to do ok against these guys. Usually after I do nothing for 3+ days, my first day back is terrible. I think I ended up like 22nd of 33 or something like that. But Mike was somewhere in the range of 18th, so we are not talking about a slow group here.
After the race I meet up with my traveling companions and we head to Iron hill brewery for some awesome lunch then a long drive back home. Great day, even if I was a little off.
My son is now 5 weeks old. Things are going well. As having a child goes, I feel like I had it unbelievably easy with regards to additional stress being put upon me. Like too easy....there has to be a giant land mine coming up thats going to blow off one of my legs I feel. Anyway, so I have been getting my ride time in, although the past two week have been essentially nothing. One rest week, then when i should have been training this past week, I was sick with some stomach alien. I actually slept from 5:30pm wed, until 730 am thursday, which might be a personal record for me.
So Iron Hill...
Of course usually I would be jumping up and down about doing waywayanda, it my second most favorite park to race out next to jungle and I have done every race there since 2008. Bill and I rode up on Wednesday and did a loop of the course..I really hate being critical of a promoter bc I am heavily involved with the layout of the SSSP course and while it might seem easy to make an xc race course that works for everyone, its not. Theres alot that goes into it. That said, I was really disappointed in this years course. Way too much fire road for me for a waywayand course. So after my pre ride, I changed my mind and decided to join norm and the gang at Iron Hill.
Up at 4, get to kirts at 530 then Me, Norm, D and Kirt hit the road. I proceed to talk their ears off for the next two hours. Fun for me anyway
So the race and stuff. I signed up for pro...I knew this would be a bad idea since in the mass series, this class is a death squad. But whatever, at the end of the day, beating a pro or two that I have no business beating feels better to me than getting a medal...and sometimes the sun shines on a dogs butt and all that stuff. I like it this way...somedays it goes awesome and you walk away feeling like a hero, other days you are slightly off and you get absolutely slaughtered, but you can say that you fought against the best guys.
As im getting my number I ask a guy next to me what the course is like as I have never been to iron hill. He tells me its pretty rocky. I then tell him him that im from north jersey and he quickly revises his statement. Something like...oh oh..not like THAT rocky
So with that, me kirt and norm head out for a little pre ride. Its muddy, like i could have finally taken those beaver tires I bought two years ago out of the box muddy. Mud aside, I would describe the course as similar to stewart, but with hills. Some really fun, fast single track, other than the mud, nothing technical of note. Line up on the front row with Monte, Ron Harding, Cole oberman, and a few other noted big dogs. About 35 guys in this group, which as pro classes that i have done, is huge. The starter asks us by show of hands if we want to do 3 laps or four due to the conditions....I jump up and down for three!!! At this pace, which for me is a cross race that lasts for twice as long...shorter the better
So off we go. In short order im riding on the edge of crashing given the mud. This is not unexpected. Big group, we are all inches apart and nobody makes any mistakes...this is also not unexpected. As I have said many times, as good as my mountain bike skills might get, everyone in this class is a baller when it comes to bike handling. We break out onto the first open climb and I try to sprint to keep pace, but I just dont have the snap today. I dont know the course and its slick, so im being slightly conservative and its costing me. After 15 minutes of trying to force my legs to run on all 8 cylinders, I try to settle into some kind of a pace. Another 10 minutes and I can tell that this is going to be one of those days...just feel like a slug and cant power the climbs in a big gear. I think i was better than mid pack for a good part of the first lap, but then came the bleeding. On one of the harder climbs I get light headed and im forced to go from power to spin. Its like in kill bill when someone gets swiped with a sword and 100 gallons of blood some spilling out. Near the end of the lap is the Mega dip, which is a gravity cavity that drops maybe 50' down than back up. Spectators everywhere so I make sure not to fuck it up. I get to the top and go the wrong way as i didnt see the arrow. Not a big deal but it like monte sneak by me....Which gave me a shot in the arm. I thought, oh shit, I was ahead of Mike? ok, things cant be that bad. I try to stay with him and do for a short while...Until the next big climbs when he spints up it and dont Lap 2 the mud is worse, im not making any mistakes but im still bleeding spots on the climbs, im now tired getting dizzy spells. nothing much of note, i pass back and forth with one of the guys in my group but we are both pretty cooked so there is no fight involved. Finish the lap and Mandi is there with my bottle thankfully. I know the thrid lap is going to be more suck, so i just try to enjoy the downhills and twisty bits and think happy thoughts on the climbs. Things like taking a sledgehammer to to my wife's greatful dead collection. Oh ya, that feels good...shift up a gear!
Finish up, find monte and mandi and spin out for a while chatting with mike about the race. Went as expected I guess...not well, but I need every little advantage i can get just to do ok against these guys. Usually after I do nothing for 3+ days, my first day back is terrible. I think I ended up like 22nd of 33 or something like that. But Mike was somewhere in the range of 18th, so we are not talking about a slow group here.
After the race I meet up with my traveling companions and we head to Iron hill brewery for some awesome lunch then a long drive back home. Great day, even if I was a little off.
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Missed you at Wayway.
Nice finish despite an off day.
Whats your favorite GD song, or the one you find most toleralbe to listen to.
American Beauty is an easy album to listen to...but then again your an engineer. Folk, rhythm & soul is lost on you guys.
Nice finish despite an off day.
Whats your favorite GD song, or the one you find most toleralbe to listen to.
American Beauty is an easy album to listen to...but then again your an engineer. Folk, rhythm & soul is lost on you guys.
GD collection! 100s of versions of the same couple songs.
don't get it, but some do......
Good job out there.....
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the good stuff starts when the kid becomes mobile....living burrito isn't much on the stress chart when healthy. You do have a snot sucker tool????
don't get it, but some do......
Good job out there.....
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the good stuff starts when the kid becomes mobile....living burrito isn't much on the stress chart when healthy. You do have a snot sucker tool????
Jungle:
Ok, wasnt my best day out there, but i figure I should recap what happened anyway. I do look forward to this race every year as it is one of my all time favorite venues. There is just so few times on a jungle course where im thinking "man this sucks, I should have taken up bowling instead" For me that's basically anytime I have to try and follow any other pro up a climb. But at jungle at least the climbs are usually technical enough that you tend to not focus on the suffering.
Dave reversed the course for this year and I was really liking the result. I got a couple of opportunities to pre-ride in the days leading up to the race and i was feeling pretty good about it. One of those times was with Bill, Dave Kahl, and Dillion among others...I always enjoy following Dillion downhill on a section like otterslide...usually involves me saying "how is that possible?" This happens with Bill too, except at split rock where he just drops me completely and I dont get to watch. But anyway, I was feeling good about the race.
Friday before I finally got my new stages PM for Ted and the new hollowgram axle I needed to make it work. I have been interested in having power data on the mtb for a long time now, but until the stages came around, there hasnt been too many good options. This is pretty nice set up. Almost no added weight and it bolts right on (although in my case i had to swap my hollowgram axle bc the hollowgrams i had were not really for a scalpel in the first place). I use my PT on the road bike alot, but doing intervals on the road bike by myself and throwing down for the jungle race should have some different results. I was interested to see what.
The race: About 15 of us on the line. Usual big dogs...again in this group...I hope for the best, but everyone in this group is fast and knows how to handle a bike..so you have to earn every spot. Additionally, we had Rotem Ishay join us...Factory Jamis rider and as BJ told us...9 time Israeli National mtb champion...dam. I figured i would get to watch for at least the first 6 or 7 seconds anyway. So we take off and in a few seconds and im last, doesnt matter. My goal was to just keep everyone in sight until the cages climb, then try see if I could push past a few people. As the race clock hit about 2.5min in one of the little single track connector my rear tire scraped a rock and tore on the sidewall. I felt it and I knew immediately it was F'd...air was completely out in about 10 seconds. That moment you realize your race is now over sucks. I could fix a burp fast enough to salvage a finish, but a tube is game over. So for the first time ever in a mountain bike race, I had to do a tube install. I do find this pretty crazy....im going to say that I have probably done between 40-50 mtb races in the past 6 years...never once have I ever had to put a tube in. Few times were I had to air a tire back up, but never tore a sidewall before....Actually once in a short track race, but i wasnt doing a tube install for that.
Ok, so the race is now over for me. I fix the bike and I hop back on after all of the women racers have passed. So im well in last place now. But i wanted to burn enough calories for a Ruby rose burrito, get some data from my new power meter, and its jungle so why quit? Way too much fun to leave early.
I get back into it and start catching back up to people. I'm now in other peoples races so I try and be as unobtrusive as possible. Just make my way around when people let me and chat a bit. But im still pushing it. I make it to the top of cage when something goes through my wheel, breaks a spoke and sends that into my cassette. This costs me a few more minutes of screwing around, but I got it fixed and got going again. I kept it pinned and just try to make a game of how many people I could catch up to. finish up the lap....The mad heckler lets everyone know how bad I suck...I do love this guy, but everytime he is at one of my races, I might as well just run my bike over with the car and go home He brings with him black clouds of doom.
I catch a glimpse of my lap power as I hit the lap button...this is gamin power...no zero averaging...387w for ~33min moving. WTF? Lot of big spikes/coasting in a jungle race so I assume thats what im looking at.
Lap2 is uneventful minus another stop to fix my broken spoke again as it managed to get back into my cassette. I catch up to the Jamis pro, Rotem...I dont know whats going on here, but if I caught him after my day, his must being going REALLY bad. Turns out he smashed and broke both of his pedals...bummer, but hey...im no longer is last! More traffic, but no issues...I pop out onto the pavement after wart hog and a few seconds later my front tire start pissing out air/stans from the tread. Seriously? On the pavement? This has to be the work of the mad hackler and his flat tire curse...I have flatted at every race he heckles me at. At this point im laughing and shaking my head. This was right at the finish line, so I considered stopping before something terrible happened, like a sink hole swallowed me. But dam if I was going to let the heckler beat me AGAIN!
Lap 3 So i stop and refill the tire. Its still leaking, but I just keep pedaling...after a few minutes its rolling and I have to stop and use my last co2. After this, I will be on foot. Its still leaking but it finally seals with probably 10-15 psi left. Its rolling a bit, but ride-able. I see Iggy and Igor up a head and it motivates me to push harder. Catch up and chat for a bit, then I just push on through cages. Passed a few more guys on the rest of the lap and finally get this one over with.
It was a mess as far as a race goes, but shit happens. Only thing that bums me out a little is that jungle is one of those races that I get a rare opportunity to overachieve...so I like to take those when i can get them. No matter, there was more than enough other things going on this day. My wife, mom and son actually came out to one of my races which was awesome. Lot of my teammates had great finishes, burrito was earned and consumed. Big props to Dillon for crushing the pro class. Long time coming and well earned win.
Oh ya, the other reason for sticking this out, my power data. It was interesting for sure.
1hr 44min of moving time
Minus zeros: 353w
with zeros:336w
NP 372w
Now if i had ever seen this on my road bike with my PT, my head would have exploded. Of course I dont usually ever ride my road bike in this way...huge spikes/then coasting/600w effort to get over a rock/roll downhill. I dont race with the road bike anymore, so I have no race data since like 2011. And even then, road race data, and mtb race efforts arent the same. So its hard to compare the two. The PT data will probably be slightly lower anyway since its in the wheel and there will be losses in the chain. Im going to bring ted out on the road for a little better comparison between the two.
Oh and of course, thanks to luke for coming out and getting us some pictures!
Ok, wasnt my best day out there, but i figure I should recap what happened anyway. I do look forward to this race every year as it is one of my all time favorite venues. There is just so few times on a jungle course where im thinking "man this sucks, I should have taken up bowling instead" For me that's basically anytime I have to try and follow any other pro up a climb. But at jungle at least the climbs are usually technical enough that you tend to not focus on the suffering.
Dave reversed the course for this year and I was really liking the result. I got a couple of opportunities to pre-ride in the days leading up to the race and i was feeling pretty good about it. One of those times was with Bill, Dave Kahl, and Dillion among others...I always enjoy following Dillion downhill on a section like otterslide...usually involves me saying "how is that possible?" This happens with Bill too, except at split rock where he just drops me completely and I dont get to watch. But anyway, I was feeling good about the race.
Friday before I finally got my new stages PM for Ted and the new hollowgram axle I needed to make it work. I have been interested in having power data on the mtb for a long time now, but until the stages came around, there hasnt been too many good options. This is pretty nice set up. Almost no added weight and it bolts right on (although in my case i had to swap my hollowgram axle bc the hollowgrams i had were not really for a scalpel in the first place). I use my PT on the road bike alot, but doing intervals on the road bike by myself and throwing down for the jungle race should have some different results. I was interested to see what.
The race: About 15 of us on the line. Usual big dogs...again in this group...I hope for the best, but everyone in this group is fast and knows how to handle a bike..so you have to earn every spot. Additionally, we had Rotem Ishay join us...Factory Jamis rider and as BJ told us...9 time Israeli National mtb champion...dam. I figured i would get to watch for at least the first 6 or 7 seconds anyway. So we take off and in a few seconds and im last, doesnt matter. My goal was to just keep everyone in sight until the cages climb, then try see if I could push past a few people. As the race clock hit about 2.5min in one of the little single track connector my rear tire scraped a rock and tore on the sidewall. I felt it and I knew immediately it was F'd...air was completely out in about 10 seconds. That moment you realize your race is now over sucks. I could fix a burp fast enough to salvage a finish, but a tube is game over. So for the first time ever in a mountain bike race, I had to do a tube install. I do find this pretty crazy....im going to say that I have probably done between 40-50 mtb races in the past 6 years...never once have I ever had to put a tube in. Few times were I had to air a tire back up, but never tore a sidewall before....Actually once in a short track race, but i wasnt doing a tube install for that.
Ok, so the race is now over for me. I fix the bike and I hop back on after all of the women racers have passed. So im well in last place now. But i wanted to burn enough calories for a Ruby rose burrito, get some data from my new power meter, and its jungle so why quit? Way too much fun to leave early.
I get back into it and start catching back up to people. I'm now in other peoples races so I try and be as unobtrusive as possible. Just make my way around when people let me and chat a bit. But im still pushing it. I make it to the top of cage when something goes through my wheel, breaks a spoke and sends that into my cassette. This costs me a few more minutes of screwing around, but I got it fixed and got going again. I kept it pinned and just try to make a game of how many people I could catch up to. finish up the lap....The mad heckler lets everyone know how bad I suck...I do love this guy, but everytime he is at one of my races, I might as well just run my bike over with the car and go home
He brings with him black clouds of doom.I catch a glimpse of my lap power as I hit the lap button...this is gamin power...no zero averaging...387w for ~33min moving. WTF? Lot of big spikes/coasting in a jungle race so I assume thats what im looking at.
Lap2 is uneventful minus another stop to fix my broken spoke again as it managed to get back into my cassette. I catch up to the Jamis pro, Rotem...I dont know whats going on here, but if I caught him after my day, his must being going REALLY bad. Turns out he smashed and broke both of his pedals...bummer, but hey...im no longer is last!
More traffic, but no issues...I pop out onto the pavement after wart hog and a few seconds later my front tire start pissing out air/stans from the tread. Seriously? On the pavement? This has to be the work of the mad hackler and his flat tire curse...I have flatted at every race he heckles me at. At this point im laughing and shaking my head. This was right at the finish line, so I considered stopping before something terrible happened, like a sink hole swallowed me. But dam if I was going to let the heckler beat me AGAIN! Lap 3 So i stop and refill the tire. Its still leaking, but I just keep pedaling...after a few minutes its rolling and I have to stop and use my last co2. After this, I will be on foot. Its still leaking but it finally seals with probably 10-15 psi left. Its rolling a bit, but ride-able. I see Iggy and Igor up a head and it motivates me to push harder. Catch up and chat for a bit, then I just push on through cages. Passed a few more guys on the rest of the lap and finally get this one over with.
It was a mess as far as a race goes, but shit happens. Only thing that bums me out a little is that jungle is one of those races that I get a rare opportunity to overachieve...so I like to take those when i can get them. No matter, there was more than enough other things going on this day. My wife, mom and son actually came out to one of my races which was awesome. Lot of my teammates had great finishes, burrito was earned and consumed. Big props to Dillon for crushing the pro class. Long time coming and well earned win.
Oh ya, the other reason for sticking this out, my power data. It was interesting for sure.
1hr 44min of moving time
Minus zeros: 353w
with zeros:336w
NP 372w
Now if i had ever seen this on my road bike with my PT, my head would have exploded. Of course I dont usually ever ride my road bike in this way...huge spikes/then coasting/600w effort to get over a rock/roll downhill. I dont race with the road bike anymore, so I have no race data since like 2011. And even then, road race data, and mtb race efforts arent the same. So its hard to compare the two. The PT data will probably be slightly lower anyway since its in the wheel and there will be losses in the chain. Im going to bring ted out on the road for a little better comparison between the two.
Oh and of course, thanks to luke for coming out and getting us some pictures!
I didn't read it since I was with you Sunday an heard everything you said like 3x. Bummer about the flats, I was curious to see how you would do with the pros at a place you ride really well.
2 finger braking? Kirt confessed that he is guilty of this but is breaking the habit
I brake with one finger but still suck compared to use guys.
2 finger braking? Kirt confessed that he is guilty of this but is breaking the habit
I brake with one finger but still suck compared to use guys.
MTB racing will always suffer from the "I lost a $60 tire in 30 minutes" fate, or a RD, etc. It is what makes a lot of us rethink those long race seasons on the MTB. Cross is sort of the same way but it's just tires. Road, usually you don't have that happen, until you crash and it's much more catastrophic.
Good job sticking it out. Next time, try not to flat.
Good job sticking it out. Next time, try not to flat.
And downhill racing is a combination of all those things Utah way to get your money's worth I would of bailed right from the get go probably.
Ok reboot....
Bearcreek challenge. So after the disaster that was my jungle race, I was looking for some payback at the bear creek challenge. I mean its now been nearly two months since SSAP and every race I have done since has been a mess. Just having one of those years I guess. So this being the same course as the nationals, and being that im doing that nationals again this year, I thought it would be a better choice to do this over bearscat. Plus I love the bearcreek course, it is in my opinion the best XC course I have ever done.
While this is a qualifier for the nationals, I dont have to. I finished 8th last year in the nats, so I was already good to go. It was nothing more than a warm up race. But, the guy who is the current national champ in my division was flying in from colorado and I really wanted to see if I could do better than the 9min he beat by at last years nationals.
I'll fast forward to the good part. At the start there werent too many guys that I recognize. The national champ, Mike M, Rottin, couple others. Maybe 15 guys totale in this 35-39 group. Got a halfway decent start, top ten into the woods. Course starts with winding uphill switchback, then after a few min there is a maybe 50yrd long rock garden that is usually muddy. I waited until then, cut to the inside and powered past 5 or so guys before the hard left at the end. Then I had daylight. Not 100% certain, but im pretty certain I was now in the lead. This is about 7-8min into the race, so im feeling great. Im now well into the 30-34, 25-29, etc people and passing left and right. Feeling absolutely awesome. I was also wondering how it was that I not only passed the national champ on the climb, im now gaining on him. Whatever, I just kept throttle on floor and tried to get to the top of this ski hill before anyone of them could pass me back. They shortened the course a bit and took out some of the short downhills that broke up the climb to the top...now its more of a direct shot to the top.
Once you make the turn into the ST at the top of this loop, its like bordering on maybe not downhill terrain, but I would say super D. So I looked back at the top and see that i have opened up maybe 10 or so seconds on second place. This is good. For the next 20 or so min you are in relentless technical ST, mostly downhill and I feel confident that ill be able to make time. So I open it up and just start bombing. Everytime there is a big turn I look back and I see im further and further away from what i believe is 2nd place. Im just totally in the zone, blowing through other age groups, having a ball. I hit the switchbacks perfect, even made a pass directly in the middle of the really tricky one. After that, i was starting to feel that "I got this" feeling. People are being really awesome about moving over and near the end of the lap, I can no longer see second place. Just hope I can keep this up for three laps.
BUT THEN!
Do this for me...find a metal railing, climb up on it.....now drop and land directly on your junk....do this 11 times and thats about what this felt like. This being the sound of stans pissing out the sidewall of my rear tire. Man, I mean getting a flat in the first 3min of jungle...in pro class...Eh, i had no illusions of winning, but while in the lead, gapping the national champ, this one burns your ass. I stop and hit it with my CO2, get back on the bike just as he passes. But I saw that the cut was in the sidewall so I know its not going to hold. I keep riding anyway though. Tire is near flat on a turn when it just peels off the rims and now I officially have to go for the tube. I figure i might be able to salvage something here so i do this QUICKLY. Get the tube in, hit it, at its punctured. So now its game over, im on foot. Long long walk of shame back to the tent, thinking about how much I would have really liked a picture holding my son on the podium. Its good and bad. Huge missed opportunity, but maybe it will help me focus a bit more on for the nationals. And it was of course a nothing race for me. Im already qualified and I get a call up, so no big deal. But after not cutting a sidewall in 6 years of racing, then doing two in a row, man, the tire gods are paying me back.
I did by the way take off my tried and true ignitors for this race and put on my heavy duty ardents just for some added insurance. This worked out well
But that aside. The day was really great. My wife and son came to the race and had a nice time hanging out at the resort. Lance, Robin, Ben, Kirt, 26er, Kristine all came out and Ben set up his tent right on the course for us. Everyone had a good race and all qualified for the nationals in July. In all it was a good day.
Bearcreek challenge. So after the disaster that was my jungle race, I was looking for some payback at the bear creek challenge. I mean its now been nearly two months since SSAP and every race I have done since has been a mess. Just having one of those years I guess. So this being the same course as the nationals, and being that im doing that nationals again this year, I thought it would be a better choice to do this over bearscat. Plus I love the bearcreek course, it is in my opinion the best XC course I have ever done.
While this is a qualifier for the nationals, I dont have to. I finished 8th last year in the nats, so I was already good to go. It was nothing more than a warm up race. But, the guy who is the current national champ in my division was flying in from colorado and I really wanted to see if I could do better than the 9min he beat by at last years nationals.
I'll fast forward to the good part. At the start there werent too many guys that I recognize. The national champ, Mike M, Rottin, couple others. Maybe 15 guys totale in this 35-39 group. Got a halfway decent start, top ten into the woods. Course starts with winding uphill switchback, then after a few min there is a maybe 50yrd long rock garden that is usually muddy. I waited until then, cut to the inside and powered past 5 or so guys before the hard left at the end. Then I had daylight. Not 100% certain, but im pretty certain I was now in the lead. This is about 7-8min into the race, so im feeling great. Im now well into the 30-34, 25-29, etc people and passing left and right. Feeling absolutely awesome. I was also wondering how it was that I not only passed the national champ on the climb, im now gaining on him. Whatever, I just kept throttle on floor and tried to get to the top of this ski hill before anyone of them could pass me back. They shortened the course a bit and took out some of the short downhills that broke up the climb to the top...now its more of a direct shot to the top.
Once you make the turn into the ST at the top of this loop, its like bordering on maybe not downhill terrain, but I would say super D. So I looked back at the top and see that i have opened up maybe 10 or so seconds on second place. This is good. For the next 20 or so min you are in relentless technical ST, mostly downhill and I feel confident that ill be able to make time. So I open it up and just start bombing. Everytime there is a big turn I look back and I see im further and further away from what i believe is 2nd place. Im just totally in the zone, blowing through other age groups, having a ball. I hit the switchbacks perfect, even made a pass directly in the middle of the really tricky one. After that, i was starting to feel that "I got this" feeling. People are being really awesome about moving over and near the end of the lap, I can no longer see second place. Just hope I can keep this up for three laps.
BUT THEN!
Do this for me...find a metal railing, climb up on it.....now drop and land directly on your junk....do this 11 times and thats about what this felt like. This being the sound of stans pissing out the sidewall of my rear tire. Man, I mean getting a flat in the first 3min of jungle...in pro class...Eh, i had no illusions of winning, but while in the lead, gapping the national champ, this one burns your ass. I stop and hit it with my CO2, get back on the bike just as he passes. But I saw that the cut was in the sidewall so I know its not going to hold. I keep riding anyway though. Tire is near flat on a turn when it just peels off the rims and now I officially have to go for the tube. I figure i might be able to salvage something here so i do this QUICKLY. Get the tube in, hit it, at its punctured. So now its game over, im on foot. Long long walk of shame back to the tent, thinking about how much I would have really liked a picture holding my son on the podium. Its good and bad. Huge missed opportunity, but maybe it will help me focus a bit more on for the nationals. And it was of course a nothing race for me. Im already qualified and I get a call up, so no big deal. But after not cutting a sidewall in 6 years of racing, then doing two in a row, man, the tire gods are paying me back.
I did by the way take off my tried and true ignitors for this race and put on my heavy duty ardents just for some added insurance. This worked out well
But that aside. The day was really great. My wife and son came to the race and had a nice time hanging out at the resort. Lance, Robin, Ben, Kirt, 26er, Kristine all came out and Ben set up his tent right on the course for us. Everyone had a good race and all qualified for the nationals in July. In all it was a good day.
Lance looks like you must have felt. You would never know from that pic how the day ended up.
I texted you my advice about the festering rage & voodoo doll. Hang in there. If you do this again at nationals I'm going to make you mow my lawn for the next 3 years.
I texted you my advice about the festering rage & voodoo doll. Hang in there. If you do this again at nationals I'm going to make you mow my lawn for the next 3 years.
